What is the best management of cholesteatoma?
Although surgery is rarely urgent, once a cholesteatoma is found, surgical treatment is the only choice. Surgery usually involves a mastoidectomy to remove the disease from the bone, and tympanoplasty to repair the eardrum. The exact type of operation is determined by the stage of the disease at the time of surgery.
What are the three types of mastoidectomy?
Types of mastoidectomy
- Simple mastoidectomy. The lateral wall of the mastoid is removed.
- Canal wall up (closed) mastoidectomy. See the separate article: canal wall up mastoidectomy.
- Canal wall down (open) mastoidectomy.
How serious is cholesteatoma surgery?
The main specific risks of surgery include further hearing loss, tinnitus, imbalance or vertigo, taste dysfunction and facial weakness. Time off work is usually one to two weeks and requires post-operative dressings for one to two months in the short term.
How long is mastoidectomy recovery?
Most people are able to go back to work or their normal routine in about 1 to 2 weeks. But if your job requires strenuous activity or heavy lifting, you may need to take up to 4 weeks off.
Can cholesteatoma affect brain?
Over time, the cholesteatoma can get bigger and destroy the delicate bones inside and around the middle ear. In extreme cases a cholesteatoma can start to affect the brain. It can cause pus to pool in the brain (called an abscess) or an infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord (called meningitis).
Is a cholesteatoma a brain tumor?
Cholesteatoma is a benign growth that consists of a buildup of squamous epithelial skin cells that grow into the middle ear and mastoid bone. These are benign conditions and are not tumors but can grow with time causing problems because of erosion of the bones inside and surrounding the ear and the base of the skull.
Can you have cholesteatoma for years?
If left untreated, cholesteatomas will continue to grow. Cholesteatomas that are allowed to grow many years can even destroy bone between the ear and brain leading to spinal fluid leak, herniated brain tissue, or meningitis.
What kind of doctor treats cholesteatoma?
Cholesteatoma Treatment An ENT doctor can confirm the presence of a Cholesteatoma. Initial treatment may consist of a careful cleaning of the ear, antibiotics, and eardrops. Therapy aims to stop drainage in the ear by controlling the infection.
Is cholesteatoma surgery painful?
Although surgery is required to remove cholesteatoma in most cases, that surgery is typically low risk. Indeed, there is little risk or pain involved in all of the types of surgery used to treat cholesteatoma – several surgical options are available that target different areas of the ear and use different methods of entry.
Is cholesteatoma surgery safe?
However, all surgeries carry risks. The risks that occur during cholesteatoma surgery have mainly to do with the ear and face. Hearing Loss: Cholesteatoma surgery involves removing a cyst from your middle ear, where the bones of hearing are, so there is a risk of deafness. Tinnitus, or constant noise in the ear, is also a risk.
What is a mastoidectomy surgery?
A mastoidectomy is a surgical procedure that removes diseased mastoid air cells. The mastoid is the part of your skull located behind your ear. It’s filled with air cells made of bone and looks like a honey comb. The diseased cells are often the result of an ear infection that has spread into your skull.